Derby Talk

Derby Talk is a forum for Pinewood Derby, Awana Grand Prix, Kub Kar Rally, Shape N Race Derby, Space Derby, Raingutter Regatta and other similar races where a child and an adult work together to create a race vehicle and a lot of fun and memories

Thought it might make for a neat topic to share the Big Rig 18 wheeler kits in a kit type topic.

As most may or may not know about the Big Rigs 18 wheeler kits ..
One of the first 18 wheeler kits was made by Beta crafts in 1997 for Scouts in the United States.
(I'm not sure when the Scout Express truck kits were first offered for the Scouts in Canada.)

Photo :
Of a Cub Scout supply catalog add showing the Big Rig 18 wheeler kit
new for the first time in 97 Cat no. U7611.

The kit box:

kit instructions:

photos;
Of the two truck types that were offered in the 97 kit
The Conventional model or the Cab-over model.

(Note:) The truck models above were built much later ..with out kits!

They were built based off of the 97 kit instruction sheet using the same wood type materials that were offered in the kit .
The wheels used on the trucks are not the type that were offered for the kit in 97.

Randy Davis of Maximum Velocity .. Does a very nice job describing & build a truck from this kit.
In his Pinewood Derby Times News Letter Volume 10, Issue 12. March 9, 2011.
In the feature article the Big Rig Kit.

This kit offered several changes one was using the card board sleeves for the trailer.
Some of the first kits of this type did not have the white blank trailer with the kit.
Though on the outer box to the kit it said..the white blank trailer was to design and paint.
The axle spacing for the tractor chassis was also different in this kit along with a newer pivot pin and wheel style.

Top tractor chassis in photo below:
Shows what the 1997 kit, the Beta crafts kit, and the Scouts Canada Scout Express chassis would look like to the
2009 Kahoot kit chassis seen on the bottom.

Pivot pin types:
The pivot pin to the right hand side shows the 2009 Kahoot kit pin.